Laguna Beach High School recently put on a production of Mean Girls: High School Edition, based on the popular movie adapted by Tina Fey. The lead actresses, Lauren Norrix (Cady Heron) and TJ Simmons (Regina George, delivered standout performances in this high-school story centered around Cady’s life from Africa to the mean streets of North Shore High. The musical effectively conveys the importance of the golden rule, all while providing a good laugh for the audience.
The music is highly euphonious and catchy, featuring hit songs like “Revenge Party” and “World Burn” as the crowd-favorites. The ensemble did a fantastic job with the overall performance of facials and musicality, infusing the production with energy and enthusiasm creating a lively and fun watch. The solos, especially TJ Simmons’s powerful rendition of the song “World Burn,” are incredible. The props by the theatre crew enhanced the performance with quick transitions and efficiency. The projection crew used backgrounds on the white set on the stage, eliminating the need to change backdrops between scenes and maintaining the flow of the performance. The execution was phenomenal, with minimal shadows cast on the background and fun animations that added to the overall experience.
The themes and messages portrayed in this production are highly relevant to everyone, but specifically to high school students. It emphasizes the importance of the golden rule, treating others how you’d like to be treated, and the harmful effects of judging others. The acting talent-wise was evident throughout, with people like Luxy Bynum (Gretchen Wieners) and Maris Morgan (Karen Smith) providing comedic relief and adding depth to the plot. Their witty personalities combined brought many laughs to the audience.
Overall, Mean Girls: High School Edition was a hit! The actors, crew, and music harmonized harmoniously to provide the audience with an enjoyable and immersive experience. While the characters’ comedy drove the play, its length was a minor drawback, as the almost three-hour duration might be too long for most high school students. What do you expect from a musical, though? Despite this, I 100% recommend this play to people ages 13 and up since it is rated PG-13. Still, it is mainly for high schoolers since it teaches important lessons in human interaction while being comical!
